Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino during shooting in Florence, Italy in May 2011.

Jersey Shore is an American reality television series which ran on MTV from December 3, 2009 to December 20, 2012 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast winter to Miami Beach, Florida, with Season 3 returning to the Jersey Shore. The fourth season, filmed in Italy, premiered on August 4, 2011.[1][2][3] The show returned for a fifth season, at Seaside Heights, New Jersey on January 5, 2012.[1] The fifth season finale aired on March 15, 2012. On March 19, 2012, MTV confirmed that the series would return for their sixth season.[4] On August 30, 2012, MTV announced that the Jersey Shore would end after the sixth season, which premiered on October 4.[5] The series finale aired on December 20, 2012.

The show debuted amid large amounts of controversy regarding the use of the words "Guido/Guidette", portrayals of Italian-American stereotypes, and scrutiny from locals because the cast members were not residents of the area.[6][7][8]

The series garnered record ratings for MTV, making it the network's most viewed series telecast ever.[9] The series' cast have also been credited with introducing unique lexicon and phrases into American popular culture.

Production history

VH1 producer Anthony Beltempo proposed the idea of a show focusing on the "guido" lifestyle for TV, in the form of a competition series. Executive producer SallyAnn Salsano, who previously worked on A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, devised a new concept, inspired by her summers in a Jersey summer share house, and retained casting director Doron Ofir to find the cast. MTV Networks President Van Toffler felt that the series "loud, young, bold" style was better suited to MTV's sensibilities than VH1, and MTV programming executive Tony DiSanto felt that "[After The Hills], it was time to go for a more authentic approach, like a documentary." Van Toffler described the casting process by saying they looked for "candor, honesty, boldness and a very combustible, chaotic mess. You could honestly say none of these people were traditionally beautiful."[18]

In an article in Rolling Stone, it was mentioned that the house had 35 remote-controlled cameras in fixed locations, 12 hand-held ones, one IMX camera and six DV cameras.[22] Nicole Polizzi said that:

They have cameras everywhere, all the time... You're always being watched. You kind of get a little paranoid, because you're like, 'Who's watching me?'... It's trippy. it messes with your head. But that's why we go crazy. That's why we fight with each other. That's why we drink. We're living in a house for two months with that shit. We can't have cellphones, TV, radio or internet... There's no normalcy. It's like a prison, with cameras. The only time we're not on camera is when we're in the shower, and that's why we all take three-hour showers, just to get away from it all.[22]

After Season 1, the cast negotiated pay raises, though both they and DiSanto explained that it was not contentious, and was given undue weight by the press. Rather than wait until the next New Jersey summer for Season 2, the production moved to Miami.[18]

In January 2010, MTV announced that a second season consisting of 12 episodes had been ordered and would air that summer.[23][24][25] It would follow all of the first season cast as they avoided the cold northeast winter[23][24] by relocating to the South Beach, Florida. In May 2010 the cast relocated back to the Jersey Shore for the rest of filming, but it was later determined that the production company had enough footage from the Miami shoot to fill the entire second season,[26] and that the footage to be shot at the Jersey Shore would be used for a third season.[27] The second season premiered on July 29, 2010,[27] averaging 5.252 million viewers.[28] Season 2 was the #1 television series in the P12-34 demographic for the summer of 2010 across all TV and has also posted continued growth every week.[29]

On July 20, 2010, MTV announced that the cast, would return for a third season,[13][30][31] with the exception of Pivarnick.[32] Season 3 returned to the original Jersey Shore summer setting,[13][30] and replaced Angelina with Deena Nicole Cortese, a longtime friend of Polizzi.[33] The season's January 6, 2011 premiere was viewed by a record 8.45 million viewers, making it MTV's most viewed series telecast ever.[9][34] The second episode of the season once again set a series and MTV high at the time, with 8.56 million viewers,[35] only to set another record with the airing of the fourth episode, which garnered 8.87 million viewers.[36]

On January 25, 2011, it was confirmed that the show had been renewed for a fourth season, to be filmed in Italy during the first half of 2011.[2][3] The fourth season premiered August 4, 2011.[3] MTV confirmed in June 2011 that the fifth season would return to Seaside Heights.[37]

Believed complications caused by Nicole Polizzi's pregnancy, and several cast members (including Polizzi, DelVecchio, and Farley) receiving spin-offs sparked talk about the future of the series past the fifth season, however on March 19, 2012, MTV officially confirmed that the series would return for a sixth season, with all cast members returning. Filming for the sixth season took place in mid-2012, and featured Polizzi nearly eight months pregnant. MTV said in a statement, "While things will definitely be a little different this time when they hit the boardwalk, their trademark hilarity and family dysfunction will remain the same".[38]

Cast

Cortese, a longtime friend of Polizzi,[53] had originally auditioned for season 1 and been rejected.[54] She eventually joins the cast starting in season 3.[53] She describes herself as a "blast in a glass".

DelVecchio is a disc jockey from Johnston, Rhode Island outside of Providence. He strikes up a brief romance with fellow castmate Farley but the relationship does not progress.[56][57] DelVecchio was nominated for the 2010 "America's Best DJ" competition.[58]

Farley is a graphic designer and club promoter from Franklin Square, New York. During the casting process, she stated, "I thought the guys would be enormous and really mean, and I thought the girls would be catty and overdone."[18] She enters the shore house with a steady relationship at home but cheats on her boyfriend with castmate DelVecchio and ends her relationship in season 3 episode 4 for different reasons.[56][59] Farley has had breast augmentation surgery, which she got as a birthday present to herself just before turning 21.[60]

Giancola is from Hazlet, New Jersey and is recently single at the start of the series. She attended William Paterson University and was a midfielder on the women's soccer team.[62] Giancola ultimately strikes up a relationship with fellow castmate Ortiz-Magro in season 1 episode 3.[56][63]

21-year-old Guadagnino comes from a traditional Italian American family in Staten Island.[65][66] A graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz who had plans to attend law school if acting did not work out. Guadagnino applied after a friend sent him an application asking for "the orangest, most muscley, spiky-haired people", which Guadagnino filled out "as a joke". Describing first meeting his castmates, he says, "I see Pauly and his spiky hair and his whole guido look. Great, they found the most stereotypical kid. Then Snooki seems like a train wreck. But you realize we're all starting this crazy new adventure."[18][67]

Pivarnick is a New York City bartender. She starts out the season with a serious relationship at home, but the two break up in episode 3, which indirectly leads to her eviction from the shore house after refusing to work her shift in the T-shirt shop.[56][72] Pivarnik again departed the house during Season 2, after violent confrontations with Mike and Nicole. She did not return for Season 3. She calls herself the "Kim Kardashian of Staten Island", but is mocked by other cast members as the "Staten Island dump" or the "Rob Kardashian of Staten Island". Pivarnick made brief cameos during Seasons 5 & 6.

Polizzi is from Marlboro, New York, and is an aspiring veterinary technician. She applied to an ad on Facebook that said "Calling all guidos and guidettes," which Polizzi said, "was definitely about my lifestyle."[18] Polizzi earned the nickname "Snooki" in middle school after being the first of her friends to "make out" with a boy. She became the center of controversy when a man punched her in her face during a bar confrontation. Polizzi was arrested by Seaside police on July 30, 2010 on public intoxication charges, which were later dropped.[74][75] She previously suffered from an eating disorder in high school.[76][77]

Sorrentino, an assistant manager of a fitness center in Staten Island, develops an attraction towards Giancola, which does not come into fruition when she becomes interested in fellow castmate Ortiz-Magro.[79] Sorrentino worked as an exotic dancer in 2004.[80] In the 2010 season of Dancing with the Stars, he partnered with Karina Smirnoff, but was eliminated in week 4.[81][82] He also appeared on the British television show Celebrity Big Brother in August 2012.

Jersey Shore house

The Jersey Shore house is the name given to the house used on MTV show Jersey Shore. Located in Seaside Heights, the house was used during the first season, starting on December 3, 2009, and was used on the show in four out of the six seasons. Since the show's cancellation, the house is currently being rented out for days at a time.[83]

The house was characterized by its unique decor and the hot tub. During the filming of Jersey Shore, the house was decorated with Scarface posters and Cadillac symbols and wheels. The house is also home to the duck phone, a home telephone in the shape of a duck.[84] All of the furniture that is seen on the show was brought in by MTV, including the hot tub, which they had to get a permit through Seaside Heights to have when filming.[85]

When filming season three onward, the home was equipped with 35 remote-controlled cameras in fixed locations throughout the home and the camera crew consisted of twelve handheld cameras, one IMX Camera, and six DV Cameras.[86]

Media and merchandise

DVD releases

On February 23, 2010, Amazon.com and MTV teamed up to release Jersey Shore on DVD.[87] The title theme, "Get Crazy" by LMFAO has been changed. Other songs have been changed since their original air date as well. A retail release by Paramount Home Entertainment with added commentary was released on July 20.[88] Although it is claimed the DVDs are uncensored, the video and some audio is still censored.[89] The DVD also includes special features include deleted scenes, the reunion special, "Tips From The Situation and Snooki", "Before the Shore", and the "Jersey Shore Makeover with Michael Cera", amongst others.[90] On December 28, 2010 the Season 2 Uncensored DVD was released. On July 26, 2011 the Season 3 Uncensored DVD was released. On December 27, 2011 the Season 4 Uncensored DVD was released. On August 28, 2012 the Season 5 Uncensored DVD was released.

Soundtrack and literature

A soundtrack to the series was released as Jersey Shore Soundtrack by MTV and Universal Republic on July 20, 2010.[91][92] Aimed to create the perfect summer playlist, the album features songs from a variety of artists including Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Taio Cruz, Ludacris, Lil Jon, 3OH!3, David Guetta, Fergie, Chris Willis, Girlicious and LMFAO as well as DJs like Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Tiësto, Diplo, Paul Oakenfold and Delvecchio.[92] A deluxe edition of the album was also released containing a bonus CD featuring songs inspired from the first season of the show, like LMFAO's "Get Crazy".[91] The first single off the album was Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It",[91] whose video also featured the Jersey Shore cast.[93] In September 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked Delvecchio's rap song off the soundtrack, "(It's Time to) Beat Dat Beat", as the #1 Worst Song Ever on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever; as a bonus, Wilkening used Delvecchio's quote as the reason for the #1 list: "Being a guido's a way of life. I don't represent all Italians, I represent myself. I started this whole GTL shit (Gym, Tan, Laundry). You have to stay fresh to death."[94]

A quote book titled Gym, Tanning, Laundry: The Official Jersey Shore Quote Book (ISBN 978-1-4391-9682-3) was released by MTV on June 15, 2010.[95] The book also includes a bonus DVD with the most memorable moments from season one of the show.[96] A sticker book titled Jersey Shore Sticker Activity Book (ISBN 0-7666-3904-5) was also released on the same date,[97] as well as a 2011 wall calendar (ISBN 0-7407-9797-2) by Andrews McMeel Publishing.[98]

Other

Other merchandise relating to the show have also been released, including talking bobblehead dolls of the cast,[99] a beach game set,[100] Halloween costumes,[101] a "Gym Tanning Laundry (GTL)" labeled sports bottle,[102] "The Situation - Official App" for iPhone,[103] as well as various T-Shirts.[104]

The cast of Jersey Shore appeared on the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.[105] Nicole Polizzi appeared on TLC's Cake Boss episode "Snookie, Super Anthony & a Ship" on November 8, 2010, in which she orders a cake for her mom. Polizzi also appeared on the March 14, 2011 edition of WWE Raw as the guest host and she wrestled a professional wrestling match on April 4, 2011 at WrestleMania XXVII.[106] Jennifer Farley and Angelina Pivarnick appeared on various episodes of TNA Impact in 2011.[107][108] The cast of Jersey Shore appears on MTV's Season 4 of Disaster Date, starring Jen Lilley, Lauren Zima, Cale Hartmann, Jason Karasev, Russell Pitts, Hasan Minhaj, Diarra Kilpatrick, and Kara Luiz.[109] Angelina Pivarnick appeared in the show NY Ink in which she got a tattoo that shows her time in Jersey Shore.

Controversy and criticism

In 2010, Guido to describe the cast members.[110] The term "guido" is generally regarded as an ethnic slur when referring to Italians and Italian Americans. One promotion stated that the show was to follow, "eight of the hottest, tannest, craziest Guidos",[111] while yet another advertisement stated, "[the show] exposes one of the tri-state area's most misunderstood species ... the GUIDO. Yes, they really do exist! Our Guidos and Guidettes will move into the ultimate beach house rental and indulge in everything the Seaside Heights, New Jersey scene has to offer."[112]

Cast members Snooki and JWoww are not ethnically Italian. Snooki is Chilean, but was adopted as an infant by Italian American parents. Jwoww is Irish and Spanish.[113]

MTV responded to the controversy by issuing a press release which stated in part, "the Italian-American cast takes pride in their ethnicity. We understand that this show is not intended for every audience and depicts just one aspect of youth culture."[110] Since the calls for the show's removal, several sponsors have requested that their ads not be aired during the show. These sponsors include Dell, Domino's and American Family Insurance.[120]

Governor Christie and the series' portrayal of New Jersey

In a February 2010 interview, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called the show "negative for New Jersey" because most of the cast members are not from the state. According to Christie, the program "takes a bunch of New Yorkers and drops them at the Jersey Shore and tries to make America feel like this is the real New Jersey". Governor Christie took action against the series by trying to encourage people to experience the real Jersey Shore for themselves rather than watch it through MTV: "I can tell people: They want to know what New Jersey really is? I welcome them to come to New Jersey any time."[121] A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released in February 2010 showed that 59% of Americans who had seen the show had a favorable view of New Jersey compared to only 44% of those that had not seen the show.[122] The FDU poll repeated the national telephone survey in 2011 and showed similar results.[123] Consequently poll director Peter Woolley concluded that “These measures... suggest the show isn’t hurting the nation’s view of the state. In fact, it may be promoting one of the state’s best features--not Snooki, but the shore itself."[124]

Nonetheless, in September 2011, Governor Christie vetoed a $420,000 tax incentive awarded to the show by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, stating: "As chief executive, I am duty-bound to ensure that taxpayers are not footing a $420,000 bill for a project which does nothing more than perpetuate misconceptions about the state and its citizens."[125]

Cast spin-offs

On April 7, 2011, MTV announced it had picked up two spin-off shows featuring cast members Nicole, Jenny and Pauly, picking up twelve episodes of each show. One show focuses on Nicole and Jenny living together in their own apartment and is titled Snooki & JWoww.[126][127] The other show follows Pauly jet-setting around the country for various DJ gigs and is titled The Pauly D Project. Filming for both shows started at the end of 2011 and premiered in 2012. SallyAnn Salsano of 495 Productions (Jersey Shore) is the executive producer of both spin-offs.[126]

^Kaufman, Gil (December 1, 2009). Jersey Shore' Castmember Defends Show Against Detractors — President of Italian-American organization has said MTV show is offensive"'". MTV.com. Retrieved November 26, 2010.

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